A Different Reality Tentomon's Story
by Cybra
Summary: The story of Tentomon in this ulternate timeline.


A Different Reality – Tentomon's Story

A Different Reality – Tentomon's Story

By Cybra

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A/N: I originally wasn't going to write something like this, but one day, I looked at my statistics and noticed I had 134 reviews for my "A Different Reality" series, then thought "Hmm…maybe I should write a gift fic for the person who writes number 135." About ten minutes later, I received a ReviewAlert from Fanfiction.Net for – you guessed it – "A Different Reality". The writer of that review was Aquarius! So, this is her gift fic!

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Disclaimer: I don't own the real Digimon, but I own this twisted up version. Nyah! P

It's very hard to break out of your digi-egg. The hard shell that's designed to protect you from the outside world also seems determined to keep you inside of the egg. Besides, it's so warm and safe that you don't want to leave. However, you know instinctively that you need to leave that safety.

When I pushed against the hard inner shell of my digi-egg, I felt trapped. I didn't care _how_ safe I was. I wanted _out!_ It was almost as if I knew that I was needed for something and had to get ready. Of course, it could've been that I was hungry. Either way, I just know I wanted out of that egg!

A sliver of sunlight seeped in through a crack in the egg. The light hit my eyes, causing me to squint, but I was encouraged. All I had to do was make that crack bigger, and then the egg would break.

I wiggled and pushed, widening the crack little by little. I could feel my egg sway as I fought my way to freedom. More light hit my eyes, telling me that I was going to make it.

Finally, the top of my digi-egg opened. Sunlight shone down on me, nearly blinding me. I blinked a few times, sucking on my pacifier.

This place was _big!_ Bright colors – a new thing for me – surrounded me. Trees with toys hanging in them provided a little shade from the bright sunlight. Clouds floated lazily above me in the blue sky.

I hopped out of my digi-egg and noticed for the first time its violet color and purple stars. Just as soon as I saw it, the empty shell deleted itself. I felt sad to see it go while at the same time glad to be free from its confines.

Data came together to form a cradle for me, but I couldn't stay in it. I hopped out of it onto the squishy ground once more. I bounced slightly and giggled. This was fun!

I turned to my left and noticed a dense forest. I learned later that my digi-egg had hatched on the very edge of Primary Village, the birthplace of all Digimon. Being curious, I began to bounce out into the forest.

The woods didn't seem too scary at first. I stopped when I saw pretty flowers and smelled their sweet smell for the first time. It was quiet, peaceful…

Now I know that I should've been worried.

The further I strayed from Primary Village, the more danger I was in. As a Baby, I could not protect myself very well. Of course, I didn't understand this at the time.

I hopped along until I reached a grassy meadow. I couldn't help but stop and look at all the beautiful colors the flowers were showing.

I had no idea that the world outside of my digi-egg could look so pretty! Inside the shell, all I could see was darkness, but out here in the sunlight, I could see the many different colors I hadn't been able to see before.

I looked into a crystal clear pool of water and saw my reflection for the first time. I was green with what looked like bubbles coming out of my body. A yellow pacifier stuck out of my mouth between two pink ovals that were my cheeks. I had black eyes that reminded me of the darkness I'd lived in before hatching.

That's when I heard a sudden screech above me and looked upward. A large bird Digimon with vicious talons swooped down towards me. Its feathers were a deep, red fire. Its large beak was more like a bill with teeth coming out of it. Blue eyes were entirely focused on me.

It was a wild Birdramon.

"Pabu!" I shrieked as I tried to hop away from the large bird.

I hopped along as fast as I could and was rewarded when the Birdramon's talons barely missed me. I didn't stop to savor the feeling of elation that came with evading an attack. All I knew was that the Birdramon wanted me, and I wasn't in the mood to meet it like this.

"Super Thunder Strike!"

The Birdramon shrieked in pain as the electric attack hit it dead center. It flew away to find other prey. Despite this, I started to shake, afraid it would come back.

"Are you all right, little one?" a friendly voice asked me.

Still shaking, I turned to see a red Digimon with purple stripes looking at me. He had long ears and this weird tail that spread out like feathers behind him. He also had a white underbelly. Right now, he was walking on four legs, but as he came closer to me, he began to walk on two.

"You shouldn't have strayed so far from the Primary Village," he scolded me gently. "I'm Elecmon, the caretaker of Primary Village. When I realized you'd hatched and gone missing, I came to look for you. Good thing I heard that Birdramon and scared her off before she could get you."

"Pabu…" I apologized, using the Baby language which consisted only of my name.

"It's all right. Now, let's get going back to the Primary Village. Hold onto my back!"

Elecmon went on all fours again, and I hopped onto his back. My jelly-like body easily held on as he began to run.

As I rode, I thought of how much easier it would've been to avoid that Birdramon if I had been able to run like Elecmon or fly like Birdramon had. Or at least have some sort of attack that I could defend myself with. Still, I knew that as I digivolved, I would be able to at least have an attack.

It wouldn't take me very long to discover exactly what my attack would be.

~@~

I twitched, my body feeling strange. Something was happening. How was all of this light coming from inside of me?! The strange, blue toy I'd been playing with had disappeared into the sky, and now I felt so weird!

Elecmon bounded over to me and stared. He scratched his head as he stated, "The others are still playing with their Digivices, but yours is already gone. That must mean…" His eyes widened, then he smiled. "I see. Your partner Koushiro is coming." He lay one of his forelegs/hands on me. "Don't worry, Pabumon. You're only digivolving."

I continued to shake. My nerves were surging with energy! I'd never felt such raw _power!_

"Pabumon digivolve to…Motimon!"

I noticed that my face was no longer only an inch or so off the ground. I stood upright, but I had no legs. I looked like one of the bells I'd seen other Baby Digimon playing with from time to time, only I was pink. That's when I noticed something else.

Arms! And hands! I had arms and hands!

It's _extremely_ hard to pick something up without hands and arms. I used to have to grip things with my entire body. While that's great for holding on to things, it's a real pain in the you-know-what to try to pick something up.

I hopped over to where Elecmon always kept a mirror for Baby Digimon to play dress up in front of. I saw my blackish-brown eyes for the very first time. I smiled happily. I had a mouth, too!

Elecmon walked over to me, smiling. "I'm glad to see that you like how you look. How do you feel?"

I turned to him, a big smile on my face. "I feel – !" I stopped in mid-sentence. I could speak! I could say something other than my own name!

A Botamon hopped up to me, one of the blue toys – from what Elecmon had said, I assumed that this was a Digivice – in his mouth. He stared at me with his black eyes in wonder and put the Digivice on the ground. "Bo bo?"

"Yup! I was Pabumon! But I guess I'm Motimon now!"

A Punimon and a Poyomon hopped over as well, each holding a Digivice in his mouth. I smiled at them, too. I felt great!

Elecmon smiled sadly at me, and I suddenly felt afraid. "Motimon, now that you've digivolved, you must leave Primary Village."

My eyes widened in fear. I had never left Primary Village since when that wild Birdramon had attacked me. How on earth would I defend myself if something like that happened again?!

"Don't worry, Motimon," Primary Village's caretaker told me. "Since you're now at the In-Training level, you're stronger than you were as Pabumon. You'll be able to defend yourself until you digivolve again. Then you'll be even stronger."

I nodded, understanding. I waved goodbye to my Baby Digimon friends and gave a last goodbye hug to Elecmon.

Then, I left Primary Village, unsure as to when and if I'd return.

~@~

I wandered the Digital World for a full month alone. I defended myself from various attacks by Digimon. I even collected information about the world around me, sensing that I would need it in the very near future.

Then one day, I stopped to rest on a rock in the middle of a jungle, wiping sweat from my brow. It wasn't that it was hot outside, it was that I'd been walking for about three hours straight.

A flaming green circle opened in the sky, catching my attention immediately. I gaped at the flaming circle, dazzled by its beauty. Then, I saw a point of light come out of it. It streaked its way across the sky, heading towards the ground.

"A shooting star?" I wondered aloud. Then I shook my head. "That's not right. They don't show up in the daylight."

I squinted at the falling light and could barely make out a shape inside of it, but it wasn't like the shape of a stone. My eyes widened. Maybe there was something _alive_ in it!

I winced as it crashed into the ground in the trees several feet beyond me.

Now, my first reaction was to turn and hop away as fast as I could. This sort of thing just wasn't normal. If there really _had_ been something alive in it, whatever creature was in the light could attack and try to eat me.

However, a feeling in my heart pulled me closer and closer to the area where the light had fallen. I was being drawn to whatever had been contained in the light. There was something important I had to do.

As I walked around a tree, I gaped at what I saw lying limply on the ground.

It was unlike any creature I had ever seen. No fur covered that body except for wild, bright red fur that grew on top of its head. Its eyebrows were red, its eyes were closed, and its mouth was slightly open. It also had a small nose and a pale complexion. Its legs weren't all that long, but neither were its arms. To my surprise, it wore clothing, something only a few Digimon wore. Yellow gloves covered its hands while green socks and multicolored shoes covered its feet. It wore an orange button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled-up a little past its gloves.

Cautiously, I reached out and touched its face. It didn't stir. Immediately, my caution became overcome by fear. Was it dead? Had it died upon impact?

These thoughts frightened me as well. Why was I so worried about something that might've tried to kill me if it was alive?

Elecmon's words from a month ago came back to me, echoing in my head, "Your partner Koushiro is coming."

Was that the reason? Was this strange creature my partner Koushiro? Was it some kind of Digimon? An odd name for a Digimon. I would've thought its name had been "Koushiromon" or something like that.

I rested the side of my head where my tiny – almost invisible – right ear was against its chest. I could now hear the quiet breathing I had missed in my extreme caution before and could also hear the gentle beating of "Koushiro's" heart.

Suddenly, it twitched. I jumped about a foot back in surprise. It was waking up!

I called out quietly, "Koushiro…"

It opened its eyes, allowing me to see its black eyes for the first time. It seemed so…vulnerable. Obviously, it was still confused about what was going on. It sat up slowly.

I couldn't stop myself from happily saying, "You're okay!"

All my earlier caution and fear vanished. In my heart, I knew I'd found who I was looking for. This strange creature and I had a bond that I was only now beginning to discover. However, one thing was sure, I would protect it with my life.

It stared at me, either confused or bewildered. I couldn't really tell. Now that it was becoming fully cognizant, it was becoming harder to read those black eyes. I stared back at it, hoping to be able to make out some sort of hint as to what it was thinking.

It spoke to me, returning my greeting, "Where the _hell_ am I?!"

I waited for what seemed like the longest two minutes of my life as it looked around at the jungle. When it seemed that it'd finally calmed down, I told it cheerfully, "My name is Motimon! You're in the Digiworld!"

A beat of silence.

"And what exactly is the Digiworld? What're you supposed to _be?"_

"The Digiworld is the Digital World, Koushiro. As for what I am, I'm a Digimon!"

"Digimon? What's _that_ supposed to be short for?"

"'Digital monster', silly!"

I was now just about as confused as it – or rather – _he_ was. From the sound of Koushiro's voice, he was most definitely a male of whatever species he was. Anyway, I wondered how he could not know what a Digimon was. Of course, I didn't know what _he_ was either.

He looked at me strangely, judging me. I waited patiently under his scrutiny. I knew that I didn't look exactly monstrous – more like cute – but I stuck by the truth about me being a digital monster.

Before either of us could say anything, I heard the roar of a Monochromon. We were being attacked!

"Stay behind me!" Koushiro ordered, pulling the thing I now noticed had been attached to his back slightly off his back. He reached inside and pulled out a strange object I had seen only once or twice before: a gun.

In the Digiworld, there _are_ guns. Not a lot of them, but they do exist. After all, why do you think Puppetmon had that trigger-happy monkey-in-the-box?

The Monochromon stepped into view, looking angry.

I told Koushiro, "That's a Monochromon! They're normally not this aggressive except when they're hungry. But there's _plenty_ of food around here so he _can't_ be starving!"

Then I noticed the Black Gear sticking out of his tail. I instantly felt sorry for him. Whatever was controlling the Black Gears was controlling the poor guy.

Koushiro nodded to acknowledge that he'd heard what I told him. He aimed his gun at the Monochromon and prepared to fire.

That was when that urge to protect him made me forget all of my fear. I hopped towards the Monochromon, getting ready to attack.

Keep in mind that at the time I was only an In-Training Digimon. Monochromon are Champion Digimon. I would be little more than an annoyance to him.

Koushiro's voice came to me, snapping, "Motimon, get your pink butt back here!"

I replied to his order, "I have to protect you, Koushiro!"

A quick glance over my shoulder showed my new companion's aim wavering slightly. He probably didn't know it, but I also saw pain haunting at the back of his eyes. He tried his best to hide it, but I could see it as clear as day.

I attacked. "Bubble Blow!"

The familiar pink bubble attack shot from my mouth and hit the Monochromon in the left eye. I heard Koushiro fire a shot behind me as the Monochromon roared in annoyance. For a moment, I feared he would use his "Volcanic Strike" attack against me.

If he did, I could say "hello" to Elecmon again.

I noticed one of Koushiro's yellow gloves reach out to grab me. "We're outta here!"

"No, Koushiro! We fight!" I argued, hopping out of his reach.

"Motimon, no!" he shouted.

He was worried about me. I could tell. He didn't admit it even afterwards, but I knew he was worried about _me._

That's when a strange whining and beeping reached my hearing. I turned and saw Koushiro pulling a wildly beeping and glowing device out of the pack on his back.

I stared. I knew what that device was…

It was the same Digivice that I had used to play with before digivolving to Motimon.

A strangely familiar sensation filled my body. My nerves tingled with raw energy. I began to glow.

Once again, I was digivolving.

"Motimon digivolve to…Tentomon!"

I had seen Tentomon before and had been awed by their skills. Not only was their ability to fly far more maneuverable than a bird Digimon's, but they used powerful electric attacks. Now, I had become one myself.

Koushiro cautiously asked me, "Motimon?"

With only a small thought, I took to the air, my new wings beating the air quickly. I hovered for a moment, feeling excited. I could fly! I could really fly!

"Not anymore!" I informed him. "I _was_ Motimon, but I digivolved to become Tentomon! Now, if you'll excuse me for a minute…"

I turned to the rampaging Monochromon. Obviously, all the light from my digivolving and the noise of the Digivice's beeping had annoyed him.

__

'I'm not scared of you,_ mister!'_ I thought toward him. I smiled, but I could only smile with my eyes now. That was all right with me.

I felt electricity crackle along my wings. It was time to fight.

"Super Shocker!"

Koushiro took a step back as a bolt of electricity flew towards our attacker. I nearly tumbled from the sky in shock. This power…It was far more powerful and dangerous than my previous attack.

The Monochromon swung his tail in an attempt to deflect the attack, but left the Black Gear exposed. My attack hit the gear, causing the Monochromon to cry out in pain. I remained firm with my attack, not wanting that Black Gear to remain in him forever.

My resolve won out as the Black Gear shattered into scattering bits of data.

After the Gear had vanished, the Monochromon blinked at the two of us and shuffled along on its way.

I quietly breathed a sigh of relief, but my eyes were still smiling. I had done it! Not _only_ had I protected Koushiro, but I had _also_ digivolved into my Rookie level! In only one and a half months, I had digivolved up two levels. That was nearly unheard of!

My new partner congratulated me with a simple "Good job."

I just kept smiling as I hovered in midair. I felt like I could take on the entire Digital World! Of course, I knew that I couldn't. However, I was sure that, in time, I would be a very formidable foe.

~@~

Our first day together passed with a small amount of nervousness around each other. We respected each other, but it was still slightly unnerving. We both still weren't sure what exactly the other was.

The next day, we were walking towards Infinity Mountain when I noticed a smile begin to form in Koushiro's black eyes. I sensed that he had just thought of something that pleased him.

He whispered to himself, "Not this time."

I looked imploringly at him. "What?"

"Nobody's going to walk all over me or control what my life is going to be this time. I'm in complete control of my life now."

"What do you mean?" I asked, hoping to learn more about my unusual companion.

He seemed to suddenly realize that I was listening to him muttering to himself. "Sorry. Just thinking out loud."

A few moments of silence passed. Just as I was about to ask another question, Koushiro broke into a run.

I jerked in surprise. Had something frightened him? I worked my wings in order to catch up to him. As I flew closer to him once more, I sensed something in him that I had not felt from him before.

Joy. Pure joy.

He was running with joy. Joy from freedom obviously. It seemed as though he had not known the freedom he now had in the Digiworld until that moment.

"Where are we going in such a hurry?" I asked.

He replied, breathing hard, "Anywhere. Everywhere. I can't wait to see _all_ of this place."

I smiled joyfully. He had been a prisoner of something I could only guess at, but now that he was free, he had no intention of being a prisoner anymore.

He ran as fast as he could for a full seven minutes, me flying beside him. Different Digimon stared in disbelief at us as we continued our mad dash over the terrain. For once in my life, I didn't care what they thought. It was just Koushiro and I sharing our joy.

I had been alone for a full month, but that had seemed like an eternity. I, too, had been a prisoner, but a prisoner of loneliness. Now that I had found my companion, I couldn't hide my joy.

At last, he stopped, gasping for breath. If I hadn't known better, I would've expected him to start smiling broadly with his lips, but the smile existed in his eyes.

"Are you done?" I asked cautiously, landing beside him.

He nodded, then started to walk towards Infinity Mountain once more as soon as he regained his breath. "Let's go, Tento."

I paused. "Tento"? Obviously, "Tento" was a shortened version of my name. I smiled, pleased, as I realized that the human who now walked beside me had given me a nickname.

And I rather liked that nickname.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I began to walk beside him.

"I want to go to the top of that mountain. Maybe then I can see where we're going."

"Sounds good to me, but that's Infinity Mountain. It's dangerous to climb up there."

He smiled at me in the only way he would: with his eyes. "I'm not afraid, Tento. Are you?"

He was offering me a challenge, and I knew it.

I didn't back down as I answered, "No way."

~@~

As we continued to walk later that day, a Yokomon from a nearby village hopped up to us, eyes full of wonder. She stared in awe.

"Another human? Wow…" she asked.

I felt Koushiro stiffen beside me. I turned to see that look of pain haunting the back of his eyes. Immediately, I wanted to delete whatever had caused that pain.

"My name is Koushiro, and this is my partner Tentomon," he told Yokomon.

I nodded in greeting.

She smiled pleasantly. "I'm Yokomon! I come from a village near Mount Miharashi. Recently, a group of humans and Digimon came there and saved us from when Meramon attacked while being controlled by a Black Gear! Are you one of them?"

Were we? I didn't know. For the past two days it had been just Koushiro and I facing the world together. Were we a part of a larger group and neither of us knew about it?

"I don't think so," Koushiro answered slowly. "Tell me, how many other humans were there?"

"Six, and there was a Digimon with each of them," Yokomon answered, still smiling.

Something was unnerving my partner, which was making me discouraged. I reasoned that whatever was wrong stemmed from humans, his own kind.

I could sympathize with him, actually. When I had still been Motimon, I had met a group of Motimon. I tried to join them as they wandered, but they had refused to accept me. Something had been different about me that had caused them to push me away.

Now I knew what was different about me. I was the only Motimon in that group that was destined to be with a human.

Koushiro sighed, but kept his face neutral. "Thank you for telling us, Yokomon. Maybe we'll meet up with them sometime."

"You're welcome!" She glanced at the sun to see it setting. "Uh oh! I better get going, or my village will be worried! It was nice to meet you, Koushiro and Tentomon!"

She hopped away, leaving my partner and I alone.

I wanted to ask my friend what was wrong with other humans being in the Digiworld, but before I could ask, he said, "Let's keep going and find some place to sleep tonight, Tentomon."

I nodded, following him. I remained on the lookout for dinner at the same time, but I mostly kept an eye on Koushiro.

~@~

As we continued our journey to Infinity Mountain four days later, we passed through a darkened forest. The silence was deafening! The smallest sound could be heard as if it were being magnified more than a thousand times over.

"Koushiro," I warned, "we should leave this place at once."

"I agree," he concurred. "It's far too quiet…"

My companion paused, suddenly wary. He looked around, I following his example. Not the slightest breeze dared blow during our silence. Not a blade of grass twitched. The silence and stillness of the forest brought my instincts to the forefront.

We had to leave this place immediately.

We were in danger.

After a few minutes of listening and waiting, we started forward once more. I walked next to Koushiro. If predators were around, I didn't want my buzzing wings to attract them. Besides, it would make it easier to listen for suspicious sounds if the buzzing of my wings didn't distract us.

I heard a sound. Koushiro heard it as well.

"Tento, I think that we're being pursued."

"More correctly – " I began.

A fierce roar grabbed our attention.

" – we're being hunted!"

Fireballs flew through the air towards us. We ran forward, away from our unseen attacker. Whatever had attacked us obviously had practice hiding in the thick trees. I took to the air, shouting to Koushiro that I would watch his back.

After a few moments of fireballs reigning down upon us, I still had not found our attacker. Also, the fireballs had ceased. I flew in a zigzag pattern so as not to get attacked unexpectedly. I didn't trust our sudden respite from the fireballs.

A moment later, a Tyrannomon lunged into view in front of Koushiro. The oversized lizard had managed to slip past me! My partner pulled out his handgun, aimed, and fired all in one fluid motion. The bullet hit the Tyrannomon in the eye.

"Super Shocker!"

As I attacked, I scanned the brute. There wasn't a Black Gear on him so he wasn't being controlled, just hungry. Gathering my courage, I attacked again and again. It was electricity against fire! Two of the most powerful elements going head to head! I could only pray that in this fight electricity would win.

Two more shots reached my hearing. Tyrannomon decided that he would go for the one with the gun before eating little old me. Shouting a battle cry, I used my secondary – yet slightly weaker – attack. Although it's called "Talon Slash", I didn't need to shout out the attack like I normally would. Basically, I used my large talons to slice into the flesh of the hulking monster in front of me.

"Eat someone else!" I ordered, hacking at Tyrannomon.

He swatted at me with his large tail. I easily maneuvered myself out of the way, thanking Fate for giving me the more maneuverable gossamer wings over the elegant but less maneuverable feathered wings of birds. Never again would I be jealous of a bird's wings!

"Tentomon, attack him in a weak spot!" Koushiro shouted, firing another shot.

I immediately attacked the right eye. My electricity obviously hurt the dinosaur Digimon, but I didn't care. He wanted to eat us for lunch? Let him try!

I felt my own determination become one with Koushiro's. At that point in time, I felt closer to my partner than before. His Digivice whined, beeped, and glowed just like before. That now familiar rush of power flowed through my veins.

"Tentomon digivolve to…Kabuterimon!"

Tyrannomon blinked at me, but began his attack once more. I placed myself between him and Koushiro. If he wanted my friend, he would have to get through _me_ first!

"Bye-bye!" I told him, charging up my attack.

Electricity formed into an energy ball in front of me. I would've smiled if my mouth could move out of that eternally open position. This would teach that Tyrannomon to mess with any Digimon who traveled with a human.

"Electro Shocker!"

My electric attack hit Tyrannomon dead center. He roared in pain and tried to attack once more, but I easily dodged and attacked once again. That's when Big, Dumb, and Ugly decided that he would go look for something that was a bit more edible and a lot less feisty. He turned and crashed through the forest, fleeing from us.

I exulted over reaching the Champion level, but I was saddened to have left my Rookie level so soon. I enjoyed being that smaller insect. Tentomon are among the most maneuverable insect Digimon known and – as Gabumon told Matt in a later adventure – intelligent Digimon with facts about many Digimon. Our 'Super Shocker' can make quite a few Digimon decide not to eat us for breakfast. Tentomon are not bad Digimon to have on your side.

I began to glow once more and to feel tired. I could not explain the sudden loss of energy. I turned to look at Koushiro who stared wide-eyed at me. I felt myself shrink and become less powerful but still remain powerful enough to hold my own in a fight. Within moments, I had returned to my Rookie level of Tentomon.

If my partner cared that I was no longer the powerful Kabuterimon, he didn't say anything. Instead, he said, "Congratulations, Tento, for reaching your Champion level despite how brief a time that was."

He didn't say "thank you", but the gratitude shone in the back of his eyes. I smiled at him, showing that I accepted his gratitude while thanking him for the compliment. "I really didn't want to stay as Kabuterimon. I like staying the way I am."

Koushiro blinked in surprise, but nodded. Together, we turned to face Infinity Mountain and began to walk once more.

~@~

Here's a fact that should surprise you:

Flying up a mountain is hard work!

I worked my wings furiously to gain every inch of height. I strained for each centimeter. However, I did not give up.

I panted as I took a brief respite from pushing myself so hard, but immediately started to grumble as I made up for lost height. I was getting a workout that day! That was also the day that I swore to myself that I would practice doing things like this more often. (I'm now one of the most powerful Tentomon around due to the training I put myself through then and now.)

Koushiro scaled the rock wall in front of me. His hands and feet sought out handholds and footholds systematically. Sweat poured down his face as he strained for every inch. Still, he never gave up when it became increasingly harder to find another handhold or foothold.

You're probably wondering why I didn't just digivolve to Kabuterimon and carry him to the top. The reason was because if I used most of my energy for flying as a taxi service, I wouldn't be able to fight an enemy if one attacked. Besides, this helped me strengthen my wing muscles while Koushiro strengthened his arm and leg muscles.

A bead of sweat dripped down Koushiro's face. I was kind of envious of that. Insect Digimon aren't able to sweat very easily since most of them have a hard carapace. I can sweat, but mostly only in extreme heat.

As my mind wandered, a few drops of sweat trickled down my own face. The wind blowing against Infinity Mountain cooled the sweat that in turn helped cool me down. I was eternally grateful for that small comfort.

I glanced up to see the edge of the top of the mountain about a foot beyond us. With renewed energy, I worked my wings harder. "We've almost made it!" I exclaimed breathlessly.

Koushiro panted, but did not answer. He reached for the next handhold as I flew to the top of the mountain. I rested for the briefest of moments before bending over and reaching down. Koushiro gave me his right hand and began to boost himself up as I pulled.

He's pretty light so under normal circumstances I would've been able to do this easily, but I was pretty exhausted from my little workout. It seemed like Koushiro weighed at least two hundred pounds! It was hard work to pull him over the edge.

At last we sat side by side, panting and gasping for breath.

Koushiro said unnecessarily, still panting, "We made it."

I just nodded in response.

As we looked out over File Island I realized just how small it truly was. Most of what we could see was ocean.

"I always thought that File Island was bigger," I told my friend.

"It's all a matter of perspective," he replied. "From the ground, it _does_ look bigger. From up here, it looks a whole lot smaller."

I glanced at Koushiro to see that familiar sparkle in his eyes. He only gets that sparkle when he's either figured out something or accomplished something. I smiled to myself. We had just accomplished the difficult task of climbing up Infinity Mountain, why shouldn't he be proud?

"Tentomon?"

"Yes?"

Koushiro gave him a serious look. "Let's try not to do this again some time soon."

I laughed. "I whole-heartedly agree!"

A comfortable, companionable silence took over for several minutes.

"Well," Koushiro noted, "the trip down's gonna be much easier."

"But let's not do it for a while, okay? My wings are exhausted."

"Sure, Tento." He pulled out some food that we'd collected earlier from his satchel. "Hungry?"

"Very!" I eagerly told him.

I quickly grabbed and ravenously devoured the berries he offered to me. They could've tasted like the bitter tea made from Metal Greymon's Hair moss, but I didn't care! I was _starving!_

Koushiro didn't eat right away. He simply sat there and looked out over File Island. Without him realizing it at first, his right hand landed on a rock that moved easily. I glanced over there to notice an object underneath it that I had heard about and seen pictures featuring. My eyes widened in disbelief.

If you didn't know what it was, it wouldn't have seemed all that impressive. It was merely a brass pendant with a clear window and nothing inside of that window. However, this pendant had a very unique and special use for it. This pendant was called a tag and it was missing the part of it that gave it power.

"Koushiro, that tag…it's supposed to have a Crest in it!"

He picked the tag up in his hand and looked it over. "A Crest?" he asked.

"Yes, I heard about them. They can cause Digimon to digivolve to the next level."

I could see that familiar spark of curiosity glittering in Koushiro's eyes. For anyone else it would have been very hard to see, but I could read Koushiro's eyes fairly easily…when he let me.

"The next level? You can digivolve higher?" he asked.

I nodded. "Unfortunately, the Crests are all on the continent of Server. Or so I've heard." I paused. "Server's far across the ocean."

Koushiro stood up, slipping the tag around his neck. I could see a glittering chain under his shirt, but I chose not to mention it. "Well, we'll have to find a way to get to Server then. I have a feeling that I came here to do something…maybe one of the Crests is the key to that." A smile shone in Koushiro's eyes. "Besides, I think that we'd both like to see what you digivolve to next. Is that a plan?"

I nodded. "To Server!"

~@~

I assume that Koushiro already told you about our ride to Server, so I won't bore you with that part by retelling it. However, I _will_ tell you what happened while he was unconscious.

I plunged into the water after him. The water was cold enough to cause even an Ikkakumon to shiver! Salt water stung my vulnerable eyes since I was unable to shut them with any eyelids (I don't have any).

My first instinct was to find the surface, but I didn't obey that instinct. I scanned the murky depths while the storm raged overhead in search of my partner. Debris littered the area, making it almost impossible to find anything specific floating in the water.

Lightning flashed overhead, giving me a perfect view of my surroundings for a few seconds. I quickly twisted this way and that, trying to find Koushiro.

As the light faded I glanced downward to see my partner give one last desperate stroke in order to reach the surface, then begin to float limply in the water.

I panicked! Quickly, I swam to the surface to grab a quick breath. I would need it in order to reach him. I dove back beneath the raging waves and prayed I wouldn't be too late.

My body is not properly suited for swimming at all. My talons and feet were never designed for this sort of thing nor were my wings. I am always at a disadvantage in the water.

That night, however, I used my wings to work like a small motor to push me downward at a faster rate as I used my talons and legs to swim. Brief wishes of having digivolved into a Gomamon or some other water Digimon flitted through my mind, but I quickly tossed them away. I had a task to perform, and wishing would not help me.

As I drew nearer to Koushiro, I noticed that his eyes had closed and his mouth was open. He would drown if I didn't get him to the surface soon! That is, he would drown if he hadn't already or died from the cold.

I shoved that thought forcefully aside. I had too much to do in order to worry about these kinds of things! However, it seemed like everything was going in slow motion. I wasn't swimming fast enough as I grabbed him and began to pull him towards the surface. I would run out of breath any moment…

That's when a miracle happened!

Something with a thick exoskeleton came up underneath us and began pushing us towards the surface. My eyes widened as I tried to get a good look at our rescuer, but all I could see was a red shell. Thankful for the lift, I held onto Koushiro tightly as we reached the surface.

The storm had begun to fizzle out around us. The ship was sinking even as we rose to the surface. The waves grew calmer, less angry. Sunlight began to poke through the dark clouds.

I coughed as I began to expel some of the water that had managed to find its way into my lungs. I continued to cough until no more water remained in my lungs. That's when I received a good look at Koushiro's and my rescuer…or rather, rescuers.

There were two water type Digimon, one standing beside me, the other whose back was beneath Koushiro and I. The larger was an Ebidramon while the smaller was a Crabmon. I have never been so happy to see shellfish Digimon in my entire life!

"Are you two okay?" Crabmon asked, worried.

I shivered. "I'm cold, but fine. I don't know about Koushiro…"

My partner lay limply on Ebidramon's back. I wasn't even sure if he was breathing so I knelt down and listened.

Nothing.

I immediately began to panic once more. This couldn't be happening! I had been too late! If I'd only been a few seconds faster…!

Crabmon's claws touched Koushiro's chest, feeling for any sort of heartbeat. He frowned after a few brief moments, then turned to me. "What sort of attacks do you use? I know you're a Tentomon, but I forget what type of attacks."

"Electric," I told him, though I was confused as to why he'd ask. My best friend was in danger, and Crabmon was asking me about my _attacks!_

"Perfect. When I tell you to, I want you to give him a brief shock in the chest."

I stared at him as though he had gone mad. He wanted _me_ to _attack_ my _partner?!_ Crabmon was out of his mind!

"Just trust him," Ebidramon rumbled. "He knows what he's doing."

I gulped but nodded in agreement. I would try anything if it would save Koushiro's life.

"Now!" Crabmon ordered.

"Super Shocker!"

It was a direct hit. Koushiro's body jerked as the electricity flowed into his body. I cut my attack short.

After checking Koushiro, Crabmon ordered, "Again!"

"Super Shocker!"

"Again!"

"Super Shocker!"

"Again!"

"Super Shocker!"

On the last attack, Koushiro jerked and twisted away from the attack on reflex, ending up on his hands and knees. My eyes widened as a smile began to form in them. He began coughing and sputtering, water flowing freely from his mouth.

"That's it…" Crabmon encouraged. "Just get the water out and you'll be okay…"

I held my partner steady as he continued to shiver and cough. At last, his coughs quieted and, no more water came out. However, he continued to shiver as I laid him gently down. His eyes had remained closed during the entire time.

"He'll be alright," Crabmon told me. "He just needs to rest up. It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah…" I murmured as I watched my partner sleep. "How did you know that would work?"

"It's a trick I learned when _I_ was a Crabmon," Ebidramon stated. "In fact, I learned it from an Elecmon."

"An Elecmon?" I queried. "The one at Primary Village?"

"Not that Elecmon, but a different one."

"I see." I paused as I remembered something. "Did either of you two see a watertight container with 'K.I. and T.' written on it around here?"

"Sure did," Crabmon told me, pointing.

By some miracle, the crate that contained our few belongings had ended up on Ebidramon's back as well. Koushiro's laptop with all the information he had gathered had been stowed safely inside along with the satchel containing all the various herbs and other useful items. His backpack with his handgun, ammunition, and digital camera had also been packed inside.

I smiled to myself. Koushiro would be pleased when he woke up. He had been fiddling with a computer program that would identify all the different Digimon when used. He called it a "Digimon Analyzer". He used information collected from me and what he had seen along with pictures of Digimon he had taken with his digital camera in order to create this program. Maybe it will help someone in the future. I am proud to say that I was the first Digimon he entered into that program.

Now all I had to do was wait for my partner to awaken.

~@~

Months passed in the Digital World. We had reached Server soon after meeting up with Ebidramon and Crabmon. (I wonder what became of those two and also the crew of that ship.) We also found Koushiro's Crest, the Crest of Knowledge. It fits him perfectly if you ask me.

The group of children and Digimon that we kept hearing about practically everywhere defeated Etemon. We had caught glimpses of the singing monkey here and there. I was not sorry to hear of his departure from the stage.

Within a week, Myotismon took over where Etemon had left off. During a face-off with a few of Myotismon's soldiers, I digivolved for the first time into my Ultimate form – Megakabuterimon. (Not bad if I do say so myself!) However, he had big plans to take over both the Digital World and the real world. He went in search of this Digidestined Seventh Child, the "Digidestined" following him.

What were _we_ doing during all this madness? We would help out in our own little way. We slowed down Etemon's Dark Network, using quick guerrilla attacks to take out different sectors and disappearing before any of Etemon's flunkies could get a good look at us. We were partially responsible for the Dark Network going down so often (the main problem for Etemon was Datamon).

When Myotismon came around, we did pretty much the same thing only we slowed down his conquering of the Digital World until the group of Digimon and children (who had been separated after Etemon's defeat) got back together. After a few days once that group had reunited, the vampire Digimon left the Digiworld followed by the children and Digimon.

At first, peace seemed to restore itself to the Digital World.

This peace would not last long.

Koushiro and I were walking through a clearing in the middle of a forest when the ground began to quake. He stumbled as I took to the air in alarm. He glanced around and nearly gaped at what he saw.

"Tento! The forest!"

On either side of us, the forest began flowing in one direction. The strip of land we were presently on didn't move (thankfully) but gave us a good place to watch the land began to twist up into the sky. Along with that came water from the oceans, dark magic from who knows where, and what looked like asphalt from the few cities the Digiworld has. The four different materials twisted around and around until they formed a strange new mountain, a rocky platform balanced on the peak.

I stared. This was not normal in the least bit.

"Tentomon, what's going on?" Koushiro asked.

"I have no idea."

You guessed it.

That mountain was Spiral Mountain.

The Dark Masters had arrived.

~@~

For years afterward we trained and waited. We would strike in a vulnerable area then ease off before the Dark Masters could get their hands on us. We even tried a direct attack on Spiral Mountain five years after the Dark Masters had arrived, but ultimately failed in that attempt. I know from what other Digimon have said that Piedmon himself found us irritating yet admirable.

It was early one morning about sixteen years after when we saw Spiral Mountain formed when the sky above us opened up, revealing a strange world I had never seen before.

"Koushiro, what is that?" I asked, assuming he would know.

"Earth."

He said the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought that was a curse and not the name of his home world.

"That's Earth?" I queried. "It's upside down."

"If my calculations are correct, the humans living there should be thinking the same thing about the Digital World right now."

"You think they can see us from – Koushiro, **look!"**

He twisted his head and noticed a rainbow colored light flowing into the Digiworld from the world above. He turned to me briefly and nodded. He ran as I flew beside him.

When we came within twenty feet of where the rainbow light had touched down the light vanished, leaving behind seven children and seven Digimon.

"Where are we?" a brown-haired girl with a pink bandana around her neck asked.

"I think we're in the Digiworld, but I'm not sure," said an older brown-haired boy. On his head was a pair of goggles.

A small blonde boy shivered. "I don't remember it being this dark."

A Patamon nuzzled the young boy. "Don't worry. Everything's gonna be all right."

An older blonde boy didn't say anything. He was helping the younger blonde boy to his feet. Obviously, these two must've been brothers since they looked so much alike.

"Let's go," Koushiro quietly told me.

"But, Koushiro…"

A stern look silenced me. I sighed and turned my head back to the group of children and Digimon who were now gazing up at the sky in disbelief. Then, I silently walked away with my best friend and partner.

~@~

I'm sorry to skip ahead once more, but I really must be going. I'm surprised I could talk for this long! Still, I'm not going to gather my dinner if I hang around here all night. I don't mean to offend you, but I really need to find something to eat.

I think I'll end my story when Koushiro took off into the sky on that trolley car. Or rather, just beforehand.

We Digimon ran along the shore as the trolley car hovered over the water, preparing to take off into the sky. I flew through the air along with Biyomon and Patamon while the others ran below me. It would be a nice goodbye.

However, I wasn't satisfied with the way I parted with my partner. I wanted to give one last goodbye before he left. I'm still not sure why.

I flew a little lower and whispered into Gatomon's ear, "Why don't we give Koushiro and Kari one last goodbye?"

She smiled brightly and leaped up into the air. Instantly, I knew what she wanted. I zoomed forward and caught her in my talons. She grinned even though I had grabbed her rather roughly. It didn't matter to her.

As I adjusted for the extra weight, I flew as fast as I could towards the trolley car. Kari went to stand next to Koushiro as we approached. Within moments, we were flying next to the trolley car.

Gatomon nuzzled against Kari's hand one last time as the girl petted her. It was a nice thing to see to be honest. I knew that they were going to miss each other greatly.

I locked eyes with Koushiro for a moment, wondering what he would do in order to say goodbye. He reached out and touched my talon, a small sign of affection I guess. That's when he did something un-Koushiro-like.

He _smiled!_

Ordinarily, he smiled like I do – with his eyes. He had never smiled with his lips.

When we were saying our good-byes one last time, he smiled with his lips!

It wasn't like an ear-to-ear-splitting-your-face-in-half smile. It was mostly a small upturn of the lips…

…But that was more than enough for me!

I smiled happily as I saw that small smile. I had always wanted to see that smile and now I had. That smile will stay with me _forever._

I pulled away with Gatomon still in my talons. We landed on the shore as the trolley car took off into the sky and zoomed into the eclipse.

Silence reigned for several minutes.

"Well…I guess that's it, huh?" Agumon asked.

Palmon sniffed, then began crying again. I stiffened. If Biyomon or any of the others started becoming hysterical like Palmon, I wouldn't know what to do. Patamon also began to cry, but sobbed quietly into Gabumon's arms. Biyomon began to sniff, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. I forced myself not to moan.

"They'll be back," one sensible voice informed us.

I turned to Gatomon who stood with her paws at her sides, the whistle still around her neck. Her white coat made the silver whistle stand out. Unlike most of the other Digimon who were looking weepy-eyed, she stayed cool and calm…much to my relief.

"Why do you say that?" Biyomon asked, still sniffling.

"Think about it. Do you _honestly_ think that the gate to their world is going to stay closed forever?" the feline Digimon demanded. "It may not happen the way Kari, Koushiro, Tentomon, and I learned about from that other dimension, but I know that the Digidestined _will_ be back, one way or another."

I smiled at Gatomon's no-nonsense attitude. Always the tough girl, that one. Maybe it was from her being alone for so long, or maybe it was from her being a Champion, or maybe it was just her being herself (personally, my money's on the third choice), but she _refused_ to break down and sob her blue eyes out. She noticed my smile and nodded to me, grinning. I think she had a vague idea of what I was thinking about.

"Gatomon's right," Agumon stated, grabbing all of our attention. "We have to move on with our lives. It will be hard considering that we've been with our partners for so long, but we _can_ do it. I think it's our job to protect the Digital World as best as we can _without_ them until they return."

"I agree with Agumon," Gabumon announced. "I doubt that they would want us being sad about their leaving forever."

"So let's try to make sure that the Digital World isn't in such a big mess when they return," I added, speaking up at last.

The other Digimon nodded in agreement. After a few hours of staying together, it was time to split up the group even though we would be staying close enough to keep in touch. Patamon and Gabumon went off with Agumon and Gomamon to a nearby area with plenty of food and a river. Palmon and Biyomon did pretty much the same thing.

That left Gatomon and I standing on the shore of the lake.

She cleared her throat. "Well, Tentomon, I wish you luck wherever you're going. I'll see ya around sometime."

"You're not leaving?" I asked.

She flicked her tail from side to side, her golden tail ring glinting in the sun. "This area's the perfect place to stay. Plenty of food and water. Not to mention plenty of places to practice for when Kari comes back."

I had been thinking almost the exact same thing and had been planning on staying as well. I told her this, much to her amusement.

"Well, I guess there's more than enough for little old me," she reasoned. "I suppose a small Champion and a Rookie can coexist peacefully…unless you decide to digivolve on me then they'll be problems." At my laughter, she grinned. "Besides, I think I could enjoy the company as long as you have a couple of sparring matches with me every once in a while so at least _I_ can stay in practice. But you're on your own when it comes to gathering your own food."

"Deal!"

I shook her paw with my talon as we grinned at each other. We each scoped out different places to live in our small but comfortable territory.

And that's how it's been for the past few months. Gatomon and I still live in that area while the others live in their respective areas. We'll visit each other every few days just to see how the others are doing. Still, we will venture out of our territories in order to try to put down the plans of evil Digimon. So far, we have been successful.

I'm still waiting for your return, Koushiro.

I only ask that you come back someday.

****

A/N: Wow…That was the longest gift fic I've ever written! :::wipes a hand across her brow::: Not bad if I do say so myself! Getting into Tentomon's head was kinda strange (and I hope I didn't mangle his POV too bad) but it was still fun! Thank goodness I got this finished before June 21, 2001! I have to go to camp for a _month!_

****

Special Thanks (and a special "Have a good summer!") to…

Aquarius – Well, she's the one who encouraged me to write this! If I hadn't decided to do the gift fic thing and she hadn't requested this, I doubt I would've written it. Thanks, Aqua-chan! J 

Kyra – Been a while, eh, Kyra-chan? Well, thanks for writing every so often! Don't worry about not e-mailing me every day! Life happens, and I understand that. J 

Vyse – Thanks for being one of my best buddies, Vyse-chan! (Heh. Most of my digi-pals are!) You put up with so much from me! J 

Kay – Where've you been, Kay-chan?! I've missed you! Hope you're having fun wherever you are and, thanks for being a friend! J 

Kelly Moon – My fellow Izzy, Ken, and Daisuke worshiper! Thanks for bein' a pal, and I hope you had fun on your camping trip! J 

My muse Izzy – I would be totally lost without you, buddy! I grovel at your feet! What is thy bidding, my master? ;)

****

Shameless Promos…

[Aquarius' Kawaii Domain][1] – Itty-bitty shrine that's owned by Aquarius. Make Aqua-chan's day and visit it! J Huzzah!

[gensou no haato][2] – Vyse-chan's simple yet still awesome page! Home to her various fics! Be a nice person and drop by! J Huzzah!

[Power of Knowledge][3] – Kelly Moon's splash page to her two shrines: one Izzy shrine and one Cody shrine! Huzzah! She's not going to be updating soon (sadness) but I'm sure we can change her mind… J 

[Spam: Reality With a Twist][4] – Okay, this is the index page that leads to my sister spam's (yes, the same spam who is co-writing "Flip City" with me) site and that will also lead to my own site (once I get that site finished)! Huzzah! J 

****

Musical Inspirations…

The fight where Tentomon digivolves to Kabuterimon for the first time was inspired by the songs "A Stormy Ride to the Library", "A Narrow Escape", and "The Flying Dragon" from The Pagemaster soundtrack.

The part where Tentomon and Gatomon were saying their last good-byes to their partners was inspired by the song "Hey Digimon!" from the Digimon the Movie soundtrack.

The part where the Digimon were talking after the Digidestined had left until the end was inspired by the song "We Go On" from Disney's Millennium Celebration CD.

   [1]: http://aquarius35.homestead.com/home.html
   [2]: http://douseiai.topcities.com/flatland.html
   [3]: http://powerofknowledge.homestead.com/
   [4]: http://www.geocities.com/spam_sama/index.htm



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